I live in Bonita Springs, FL. I’m a Senior Sales Consultant for a wireless carrier in Ft. Myers, FL. I come from a Cuban family and we love to eat! Some of the things I love to do are Crossfit, drag racing, cooking/grilling, being on the water, and I’ve recently taken up golf.

When did you first start training at Crossfit Naples? October 2012

Tell us about your sports & fitness background: I’ve always loved being active. As a child, I did a lot of running, shooting hoops, and martial arts. I played football through high school, was a sprinter on the track team, and was involved with weight lifting.

How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? After not having a real set schedule or any kind of motivation to go to the “gym”, I contacted Mario. (Mario and I went to the same middle school and high school together. I remember his as a big jokester.) We’d been out of contact for years but we were Facebook friends and I saw he was involved with this “crossfit thing”. When I called we caught up a little. He asked about my personal goals and so on. Mario educated me about what crossfit really was and invited me in for an intro class (said he hoped I wouldn’t pass out).

What was your first workout and how did it go?How did you feel after? I did the Baseline in the Intro. Finished in 6:48 and I wanted to DIE but I was hooked!!!

Favorite Workout: Anything without wall ball!

Least Favorite Workout: Anything with wall ball!

What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? I went for 26% body fat @ 205lbs to about 16% @ 185lbs in 6 months. I have a lot more energy throughout the day, I sleep better, and I feel so much healthier.

What sort of unexpected changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit? I love to eat!!! But I eat very different now. I don’t count calories or any of that. I try to eat as health as I can 90% of the time which has been very hard in my past. I see Crossfit not just as a short term fix but a lifestyle that will continue to help me better myself everyday.

Please share with us any favorite CrossFit / CFN moments: My second baseline challenge. I PR’d by over 2 minutes and I could’nt believe it! But most of all, I love coming in and having everyone feed off each others energy. It’s like nothing else.

Any advice for people just getting started or new to CrossFit? Crossfit is a lifestyle that makes you fight against yourself. Use the energy in the room to make yourself better and only look back to see how far you’ve come. Oh, and if you’re late….. 10 Burpees!!!

Thank you Mario and Crossfit Naples staff for always pushing me to get better!!!

Before/After

MONDAY’S WORKOUT

{9am Class Only}

Relays Races (15 minutes each)

Deadlift 185/105 & Burpees

Med Ball Cleans to Wallball & Sit ups

TUESDAY’S WORKOUT

Benchmark: “Nicole”

Advanced: Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of: Run 400m/ Max Pullups

Aren’t you glad you don’t work out in a commercial gym. To one side you have the meat heads at the dumbell racks. And to the other the ladies all on the treadmill burning their calories away.

I was asked the other day why we didn’t have any mirrors in our gym. At first I was taken back by the comment, it was obvious…to me. After a brief pause it came to me, I used the analogy of riding a bicycle. Never has someone asked to learn how to ride a bike in front of a mirror. You learned by getting on a bike until you eventually didn’t fall. No mirrors, no fancy equipment, just practice, after practice, after practice. Maybe some training wheels at first but not for long. When I said that the client said, “that makes sense I never thought about that.”

I was comforted to know that that client would never have a need to use a mirror to train. Good human movement takes time to learn. The subtle nuance of a perfect Air Squat takes years to learn. The kipping pullup even longer. What I love about CF the most is that their is never a point of arrival.

We can always get faster, We can always get stronger, We can always do better. Thank God we don’t mirrors for that!

Speaking of Tabata. There is a great new CF website that writes a little bit about everything. Best part is that the content is FREE!! Everything from nutrition, to article about technique, as well as motivational pieces. If you get some time check it out. Visit www.tabatatimes.com

Monday’s Workout

Strength: Chin-up work/weighted if possible

Conditioning: 3 x 400m Run

Each Set you must complete an Air Dyne Sprint at half the time taken for your 400m run

The program is structured in a way that maintains 4 fundamental areas of fitness, focusing on one per week, but always has new workouts and conditioning sets. I look forward to every week, and love the versatility of movements and skills we focus on. The coaches are all very dedicated, and encourage all of us with positivity rather than pressure or aggression. Great gym!

Masters Class is amazing! I am 67 years old and after a pretty sedentary life, started cross fit about 2 years ago. When I moved to Naples this past fall - I discovered CrossFit Naples Masters Class and love everything about this experience. Great facility, wonderful coach and enthusiastic exercise mates. Every move is explained and demonstrated for correct form and with an eye to keeping you safe while giving you a good workout! I have lost a total of 15 pounds in 6 months and feel and look healthier and more fit.

Dropped in for a class while on vacation. A great and fun workout with positive coaches who provide solid feedback and encouragement throughout. The gym is clean and well-equipped, and the owners have done a great job building the community. If you live in or near Naples, or are looking for a box to drop in while around, this is your place. Thanks for a great day!

CrossFit Naples is truly a wonderful community. I joined this box last year with next-to-zero athletic training and low confidence in my abilities, but also a desire to succeed and invest in my body and my lifestyle. The coaches (Kirk and Mario, especially) returned that investment two-fold and have guided me on my path to fitness, both physical and mental. I absolutely recommend this facility to anyone looking for a positive experience with a gym, either for the first time or as a seasoned athlete. Thanks, CFN!

I waited just over 3 months to give this gym a review because I wanted to really make sure they deserve the rating I am giving them- and they really do. If I could give more stars I would. CrossFit Naples is top-notch and extremely caring about its people; newly welcomed, drop ins, and even long time members. The owner, Mario, is an awesome coach, a humble leader, and a born natural- he could do it with his eyes closed. He's also a new father to a beautiful little boy who you can tell he loves so much. The Coaches Kirk, Miles, and Luke are like the heart and soul of this place- they are awesome at what they do and only want you to succeed. They know so much about fitness it's like having a personal trainer by your side. Every class they go over in full detail and demonstrate what we will be doing. They constantly correct form and do some really effective stretching techniques that target the muscles we'll be working on. It's definitely not the stereotypical meat-head gym with a bunch of wild crazies swinging from bar to bar like some other gyms. It has a community feel every class, every time. Now some info about me- I'm 30 years old, a husband, and a father of 2 young boys with very little exercise experience. When I first joined CrossFit Naples, I had zero knowledge of CrossFit and what it was all about. I barely knew what to do with dumbbells or a barbell. I weighed 160 pounds and exercised maybe twice a month on my own (which involved less than a mile of running and very few push-ups and sit-ups). When I joined this gym, I decided to not do anything other than what they told me and see what sort of results I get in 3 months. So I averaged 4 to 5 days a week there with not much change in my diet except cutting out a few unnecessary carbs and consuming more healthy protein. In that time, I lost 3% body fat and have some great muscle gains. I feel like a different person and it's only been 3 months. I can't say enough good things about this place. I never thought I'd be able to get myself up every morning to exercise, but I actually look forward to it. I'm so glad I found them, and I'm looking forward to the next 3 months. I hope this helps anyone who is on the fence about which CrossFit gym in Naples to try, because this one by far, feels like home.

I joined CrossFit Naples during my long winter break from college. I already had a decent amount of fitness experience but I ended up learning a ton of new movements and workouts that I can use while back at school. The coaches are fantastic and the classes are small enough to offer individual attention. The facility is great, has plenty of equipment, and is nice and clean. I particularly enjoyed that they offered extensive open gym hours, so I could workout on what I wanted outside of classes.

I'm a longtime weightlifter with some serious functionality and flexibility issues. Coach Kirk has been working with me over the past couple of months to help rebuild what I've screwed up. Even with up to 11 other people in the class, he always takes time to coach me personally. I'm starting to unlock my strength beyond simple iron throwing. I'm becoming functional. I cant recommend it enough.

Excellent gym. Yes they are a crossfit affiliate, but they distinguish themselves by hiring great coaches and teaching safe and effective form and range of motion. You warm-up, practice strength and power lifts and then condition to get your heart rate up. The wods always leave me ready to tackle the day!

I've been a member at Naples Strength and Conditioning for about a year now, and the quality of the coaching and community is absolutely fantastic. I refused to try CrossFit for several years before stepping through their doors, and was immediately welcomed with open arms. Knowing almost nothing about many of the movements and philosophy behind CrossFit, they really helped me grow and develop as an athlete, without just throwing me over to the weights and telling me to get going. Mario and the other coaches have truly become part of my family, and I would recommend them to anyone!

Dropped in for and early morning Friday Wod. Skill work, strength work and a quick 9 min conditioning wod to finish it off. Super fun and efficient with a knowledgeable coach (Mario) who coached the entire time! Shout out to Coco (a member) who made me feel most welcome! See you all next year when I’m back in town!

Naples Strength and Conditioning is the BEST place in Naples for training. The coaches are knowledgeable, encouraging and FUN!! The owner Mario is hard working, kind and passionate about what he does. This if reflected in all aspects of this gym from personal training to Crossfit and other classes. If you want to experience great results and be educated on how to do it - this place is for you!

I'm in Naples for a few days on business. Contacted Naples Strength and Conditioning via their website on the weekend to ask some questions and Mario got back to me right away. He called me on a Saturday and answered all my question in a real customer care fashion. I then dropped in on Monday for a morning session and Coach Luke was just outstanding....he coached the entire time and did a great job making me feel welcome. The entire class was welcoming. I will be back a few more times while I'm here. Great work outs, great environment and very welcoming. Thank you for making being away from home a little less like being away from home.

Our Mission & Vision

We are a community oriented, results driven fitness facility committed to creating lifelong fitness.

We see our company as a community centered fitness facility. Our friendly membership base allows for our members and staff to consistently offer a non-threatening atmosphere to train. Above the superior professionalism that we maintain we believe safety to be number one on our list. We strive to continue to offer programs and services that can help our clients reach not just their health and fitness related goals but their life goals as well. While always reminding our clients to keep training fun.